Shu014dta Imanaga was removed from his start on Sunday, exiting with a left hamstring strain suffered while sprinting to cover first base on a double play attempt. Imanaga was pulled from his previous start in Pittsburgh due to cramping, but this appears to be a different — and longer-lasting — injury. Either way, it’s detrimental to Chicago’s already hurting rotation.
Justin Steele is out for the season, leaving Imanaga as the clear ace on the pitching staff. Colin Rea has been an outstanding surprise since joining the mix following Steele’s, and Chris Flexen was recently brought up from Triple-A after experiencing a similar career rebound.